After you read this one, I've got a quick note at the end. Let me know what you think! [reposting this since the update didn't seem to go through!]
Piper was trembling in the back of Jenna O'Donnell's car as they pulled up to the office where Bunny was supposed to be meeting them. "You're being so brave," Jenna praised as she led Piper into the room where she'd be meeting her mother, "Jay and Erin are really proud of you."
"You're gonna stay in the room, right?" Piper paused at the door, "I'm not gonna be alone?"
"I'll be here the whole time," Jenna confirmed, "I don't think your mom is here yet though, so you'll have a few minutes to get settled. Maybe at the table over there? I think we have a few books in here as well."
Piper let out a small exhale and nodded before settling into the chair in the farthest corner of the room, as if anticipating that she'd need to shield herself. "Looks like she's running late," Jenna said, doing her best to remain upbeat, "But she should be here soon."
"Bunny's running late," Jay reported to Erin after looking up from a text message from Jenna, "Piper's not crying, so that's good."
"Jesus," Erin exhaled, leaning forward on the table to rub her temples, "I'm not shocked. Bunny literally left me at school all the time. Never remembered to pick me up, and I'm pretty sure I missed the first day of school like five times because she slept too late."
Jay nodded sadly. "It's too bad she hasn't changed."
Erin sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Yeah. That's honestly what scares me the most." She met Jay's gaze, "She knows how to play the system. Any time DCFS came close to me, Bunny found a way to keep me with her. It was usually a new husband or we'd move or something." She let out another shaky exhale, "Piper's already moved so many times. She's been though a number of houses and families and I don't think Bunny can give her the stability that she needs."
"You can give that to her," Jay said gently, reaching a hand across the table to stroke Erin's fingers, "She trusts you. This morning? That was huge for her."
Erin managed a small smile. "It sucked seeing Bunny especially after I moved in with Hank. She was always so nasty." She paused, "And honestly, it still sucks. Every time I talk to her I feel like I'm twelve years old again."
"She manipulated you for so many years." He shook his head, "You can't blame yourself for any of that, Er."
"It's hard to not blame myself," Erin blew out a breath. "I let her manipulate me. I convinced myself that she was worth it, that because she was my mom, she deserved hundreds of second chances." She swallowed, "But now I know I can't ever forgive her. Not after what she did to Piper. I keep thinking she's going to wind up involved somehow."
"I was thinking the same thing," Jay replied, "Hank's uh, looking into any connection there. Current working theory is that Donny is connected to the leader of the organization. We um, have also considered that he knows who your dad is. Biological dad."
"Fuck," Erin breathed, raking her hands through her hair, "It makes sense, I just-"
"Let's focus on Piper," Jay interrupted, "About school and stuff." He smiled when Erin gave a grateful nod. She couldn't dwell on how fucked up her family was – it was too much. "So I know the headmaster at St. James, she can start there in a month. They start a bit later than the public schools, which I think will be good, give her some time to adjust after we tell her."
Erin nodded in agreement. "You said something earlier. She's having trouble reading?"
"Not so much anymore," he assured her, "Been reading a ton. I think she didn't have a ton of practice before, and when moving houses and not always attending school consistently, I think a few things slipped through the cracks. But she's more confident now, which is awesome." He flashed a smile, "But the headmaster told me they have smaller classrooms and stuff so she'll have the support she needs."
Erin exhaled. "I sucked at school," she informed him, "I mean, I barely graduated. I um, I just want it to be easier for Piper."
"It will be," Jay said gently, "She's got you, remember?"
She managed a small smile. "My apartment in New York, um, it's in a decent school district. I was thinking that after Piper starts here it'll be easier to know if I should look into something different. The schools out there are super competitive."
"Good call," he nodded in agreement. He glanced down at the notebook he'd been writing in. He'd been diligently making notes and jotting down ideas and things Piper had mentioned in passing so that when the time came for her to fully transition to Erin, she would have as much information as possible at her fingertips. "Okay, we talked school. I um, I know I ran this by you a few weeks back but with everything it kinda took a back seat. That's um, getting Piper to talk to someone. A therapist."
"Yes," Erin said quickly. Heat rose in her cheeks. "I um, I started talking to someone too, after you mentioned how much it helped you." Erin swallowed, "With Piper and being back here and everything I just- I just want to be good enough for her and-"
"That's great, Er," Jay praised, "Really. I'm so proud of you."
She blushed further. "I've been twice. It hasn't been great but uh, I read that it can take a few sessions."
"Mm, picked up on the importance of outside research, hm?" he teased, "Glad some of my skills are rubbing off on you."
"Please," Erin rolled her eyes, "Next thing I know I'll be diligently taking notes and reading nonfiction and watching documentaries."
He chuckled and held up the notebook. "I'm writing down everything I can think of so when Piper fully transitions to you, you have all the background knowledge you need."
Erin felt her heart leap. Jay was taking notes for her. Everything about him, from his meticulous research to obsession with keeping track of Piper's wellness was to help her, and her sister. Ugh. He was such a good guy. "Jay," she whispered, "I um, I don't know what to say. How to thank you."
"I could say the same to you," Jay replied honestly, "The past few weeks – they've shown me a whole other side of myself. I um, I feel better than I have in a long time, but probably ever."
She ran her fingers over Jay's lightly. "I um, I know we need to talk about getting Piper in to see someone but right now um, we're alone." She raised her eyebrows, and Jay swallowed.
He brushed aside the notebook and mugs of coffee to lean forward and press a kiss to Erin's cheek. Her warm skin felt like heaven beneath his lips as she moved her lips to his neck, thin fingers scrambling at his belt buckle. "We've got time," she said huskily, "To slow things down."
"I can go slow," he teased, "Just watch."
Piper sat quietly in the DCFS office, eyes trained on her mother. Bunny had breezed in twenty minutes late, claiming that she got held up at work. Piper could tell that her mother came from a night out, she recognized that much, but she couldn't discern if her mother was actually on drugs.
"So, honey, tell me all about what you've been up to," Bunny smiled, "It's been a few days since I last saw you, huh?"
The little girl looked to Jenna O'Donnell, who gave an encouraging nod. "Jay and Erin took me to a baseball game," Piper informed her mother, "I had never been before."
"Jay and Erin, huh? Well, we know that won't last long," Bunny scoffed with an eye roll, "I mean, the two of them could never keep it together."
Jenna O'Donnell raised her eyebrows in surprise, but remained quiet. "You know, we could go to a baseball game too, honey," Bunny said, changing her tone slightly, "We can do all the things that you have been doing with Jay and Erin."
Piper appeared skeptical but didn't say anything. "When Erin was your age, we used to go up to this lake outside Chicago," she said, "She loved playing with all the other kids out there. It was really fun."
She swallowed. "I um, I want to hear about my dad," Piper said, "Kenny. The man you said was my dad last time."
Bunny raised her eyebrows. "Oh honey, you don't have to worry about him. He's not in the picture. Just you and me."
Piper wrinkled her brow. "How come he doesn't want to meet me?" she challenged, "You told Erin he was back in Chicago."
"He was," Bunny attempted, "But he knows it's important for me to get custody of you, and he won't try anything, I have his word. But enough about him, honey. He's not worth it. I know we only have short visits, and I do really want to get to know you." Bunny leaned forward to stroke Piper's cheek, "And I can't wait to spend more time with you."
Piper remained quiet. "I know you don't think highly of me, honey, but that's because you don't know me. You only know what Erin has lied to you about."
"Erin tells the truth," Piper replied, looking nervously at the social worker, "She loves me."
"And so do I," her mother insisted, "It might take some time to convince you of that, but I do love you."
"How come you lied to me last time? About Erin?" Piper narrowed her gaze. "Erin and Jay told me the truth."
"Well, that's their definition of the truth," Bunny shot back, "I'm not going to tell you who to listen to, but I am your mother, and I don't have any reason to lie to you."
"How come you're trying to get me back? Why now?" Piper folded her arms across her chest, "Is it 'cause you don't want me with Erin?"
"I think I'm a safer option for you," she said, "I have a stable job, a house, an income. Erin doesn't have a house, and with her history of jumping from job to job and working all hours, I don't think that's good for you."
"Erin has an apartment," Piper informed her, "I stayed there. She has a room for me."
"So do I," Bunny replied, "I have a yard, and my house is in the same school district as the school you used to go to, isn't that great?"
Piper sucked in a breath. She did not want to go back to that same school. "I-I want to go back to Jay and Erin," she said to Jenna, "Please?"
"I have another half hour," Bunny interjected, "I'm entitled to this time with my child."
Piper sat back in her chair dejectedly when Jenna gave her an apologetic smile. "Just a few more minutes, Piper. Maybe you want to tell your mom about playing soccer?"
"I-I don't want to talk anymore," Piper whispered, "I want to go back to Jay's."
"Well, just wait until tomorrow," Bunny said lightly, "I have a feeling some things are going to change."
Erin nuzzled Jay's neck as they laid in his bed, scattered remnants of their clothes in a trail from the kitchen to the bedroom. "That was fun," she mumbled, Jay's fingers dancing lightly across her bare back, "A little break."
He chuckled, "We said we'd take things slow."
"And we did," she argued, "I, for one, was very slow. I can go slower, if you want." She bit her lip, "Very slow."
Jay snorted. "I'm not complaining." He inhaled deeply, his nose buried in the top of his partner's head, "I like this version of slow."
Erin was about to reply when her phone buzzed loudly. "Shoot," she mumbled, swiping the device off the night table, "It's my lawyer."
"Take it," Jay said, quickly vacating the bed, "I'll make another pot of coffee." He tossed some of Erin's strewn garments toward her. She scrunched up her nose in response, and Jay grinned.
He moseyed around the kitchen after starting the coffee machine, intent on whipping something up quickly for Piper to have after her visit with Bunny. He was thinking that Piper might be intrigued by a fancy peanut butter sandwich – he'd seen a few pictures online in researching kid-approved lunch ideas, and purchased some ingredients with her in mind.
"Hey," Jay said with a smile when Erin emerged from the bedroom. He just finished an open-faced peanut butter toast in the shape of an owl, complete with ears made of strawberries and eyes from blueberries. "What do you think of this?" Jay held up the plate, "You think she'll be into it?"
Jay furrowed his brow when Erin didn't respond, and stood rooted in the living room. "Er? Is everything okay?"
"They scheduled court for tomorrow," Erin stammered, still standing in the living room in shock, "My lawyer said that the judge might be granting Bunny temporary custody. She-she wants to make sure that there are options for Piper in case I fuck it up."
Jay widened his eyes in surprise. He had not been expecting that. "Piper hasn't even finished the supervised visit with her."
"I-I don't know," she choked out, "My lawyer says she's not seen anything like this, that this judge is normally sensible and doesn't want to endanger the child but-" Erin stopped speaking, unable to finish her thought.
"This goes against Jenna's recommendation too," Jay said slowly, "Especially if she doesn't know yet, and she would have said something." Something wasn't sitting right. He reached grabbed his phone while Erin stood shell-shocked in the living room. "Ruzek. I need you guys to look into the judge that's presiding over Piper's case. I-I think there's something there, something's changed and I'm wondering if someone got to her, like Piper's previous foster families."
"You…you think the judge is involved?" Erin asked incredulously, "But what, why I-"
"I'm not sure," Jay said honestly, "It's a hunch, but I just can't imagine any person in their right mind would think that sending a child who's been traumatized to be with someone like Bunny, especially since Bunny initially had visitation revoked. It doesn't add up."
Erin nodded, her lower lip quivering. "What are we going to tell her?"
Jay brought Erin into his embrace and held tightly. "The truth," he murmured, "We just need to tell her the truth. And we're going to do everything we can to keep her with us."
Piper was shaking beside Jay in the court room. They were seated in the gallery, several rows behind Erin and her lawyer. He was doing his best to remain calm, but the prospect of Piper getting placed with Bunny, against the recommendation of DCFS and his own judgement, was absolutely terrifying.
The little girl had been incredibly stoic after returning from the visit with her mother, and just wanted to be beside Jay, and Erin. While Jay spoke with Jenna about logistics for court and expressed his concerns, Piper clung to her sister on the couch, barely managing a few words. Jenna had been equally blindsided, and hadn't even been informed of the impending court date. She was apologetic and promised she'd look into it from her end, but Jay knew most of what was happening was out of her hands. Erin had managed to convince Piper to eat a few bites of the fun lunch Jay prepared, but none of them had much of an appetite.
He and Erin did their best to explain what was happening to Piper, but Erin could barely get the words out. Instead, she just held tightly to her little sister while Jay reiterated that no matter what happened, he and Erin would be there for Piper, and that they were going to do everything they could to keep her safe. It was harder to explain why a judge would even allow Piper to be in the position in the first place.
Hank and the rest of the unit were looking into the judge's ties to the wider network. The sergeant had been beside himself at the thought of the child going into Bunny's custody, even if it was on a trial basis. Jay was grateful for the support of his boss, but he knew that all the support in the world wasn't going to change the fact that Piper's future was in the hands of one person who barely knew her.
Jay felt like he could barely breathe. His eyes were trained on the back of Erin's head as the lawyers argued. He had his arm wrapped around Piper, who was positively trembling. Getting her ready had been a nightmare, and even though Erin spent the night in bed beside her, the little girl had barely slept.
He couldn't bear to even attempt to close his eyes, so Jay worked. He researched any and every connection the judge could have, and delved into materials the team had procured. There wasn't a clear line, but Jay was convinced something was up.
Things were moving far too quickly.
Just two days ago he was at the Cubs game with Piper, watching his little friend experience the thrill of a live game for the first time. Now, he was seated in family court watching the security and trust that had been built over the past few weeks get ripped out from under her.
"Given that there is not active threat against the child's safety, there remains no need for her to remain in protective custody."
Jay felt his heart stop. He didn't want to think it was possible, but the worst-case scenario was unfolding before his very eyes. He, Hank and Platt all provided written testimony stating that it was in the best interest of Piper's safety to keep her in protective custody, especially since they were still exploring Bunny's possible connection. Their message clearly did not have the desired impact.
"Ms. Fletcher has made a good faith effort to connect with her child, and given the court's commitment to allowing children to be raised by their biological parents, temporary custody of Piper Andrews has been granted to Barbara Fletcher, effective immediately. Court will reconvene in two weeks to reassess and determine next steps."
"No!" Erin yelped, "You can't do that to her."
At the same time, Piper burst into tears, her loud and broken sobs echoing off the wood benches. Jay lifted her into his arms and held closely, unable to process what had happened. They were taking Piper. Bunny was getting custody, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
The commotion of the court room was replaced with loud buzzing in his ears as Jay held onto the little girl, unwilling to release his grip on her. Tears sluiced off her cheeks as she trembled against him, and Jay felt more helpless than he'd ever felt in his entire life. "I'm so sorry," he choked out, "We're gonna do everything we can, kiddo. This isn't over."
"I don't wanna leave you," Piper sobbed, drawing the attention of the remaining people in the court room as everyone filed out.
"I know," Jay managed, glancing around to see if he could find Erin. She was talking to her lawyer and appeared absolutely distraught.
"Hi, honey," Bunny said brightly, "You ready to head home? Good news today, huh?"
Jay was silent as he felt Piper's beating heart race against his. No part of him wanted to let the little girl go. "Come on, baby," Bunny encouraged, forcing a smile, "It'll be great."
Piper shook her head and held tighter to Jay. "Detective Halstead," a gentleman cleared his throat to stand beside Bunny, "Frank Donovan, DCFS. I work with Jenna O'Donnell, I'll be transporting Piper to her mother's house."
Again, Jay was silent. "Please no," Piper begged, "Please let me stay with Jay."
"I'm sorry," the man said kindly, "We have to listen to the judge, but you'll still be having supervised visits with your sister, so you will be able to see her."
"Where's Erin?" Jay asked, unable to locate the familiar head of his partner, "She um, she should get to see Piper."
"She was escorted from the building," he said carefully, "In these situations, the judge can rule that it can be more traumatic for the child to see the other party so-"
"Christ," Jay rubbed his face, still reeling, "Can I just get a few minutes with Piper, before you take her?"
Frank Donovan gave a small nod of approval. "Ms. Fletcher," he said, gesturing to Bunny, "We'll be by later today."
"I'll see you soon, baby," Bunny cooed, stroking the top of Piper's head. Jay felt his little friend tense at her mother's touch, and he felt like he could throw up.
"Listen to me, Pipes," Jay whispered, "No matter what, if you need me, I will be there. You just call me, any time, day or night. Erin and I are going to talk to the lawyers, and we're going to fight this, okay? We just need you to be brave." He swallowed, "I'm so proud of you."
"I wish I didn't have to be brave," Piper choked out, "I don't want to leave you."
"I don't want you to leave either," he said, trying to rid himself of the lump in his throat, "But we're going to figure this out. You just gotta trust me."
Piper managed a small nod. "I trust you," she whimpered, "I'm gonna be brave, like you."
"I can't," Erin held up a hand when Jay approached. She was leaning against her car, just like she had been over a month ago at the first court hearing. "I can't let you touch me, I'm going to lose it, I'm sorry."
He was still in a state of shock. After Frank Donovan returned to take Piper to Bunny's, the little girl clung to him desperately, and refused to comply, even when Jay finally said that she needed to. Watching the apologetic DCFS case worker carry Piper out of the courtroom in tears was an image that was burned into his mind forever.
Jay managed a nod and stood in front of Erin's car, chest heavy. "They um, they had to pry her out of my grip," he said thickly, "She's got my phone number, and yours, in her pocket. I told her if anything happens to call us."
She gave a small nod. "I can't believe it," she choked out, "Just two days ago we were at the baseball game, she was happy, she felt safe and now-"
"I know," he nodded, "Voight uh, he thinks there's something to this judge. Ruzek and Upton are checking out the husband."
"She was so scared." Erin's voice broke, "I could hear her, when we were in the court room. She was so scared, Jay."
He nodded again, unable to force his lips to move. "How is she ever going to trust me to keep her safe?" Erin continued, "I-I tried everything and I still couldn't do it."
"This is not on you," Jay said firmly, "There has to be something else going on. We know how Bunny is. DCFS recommended you over her. Nobody but this judge thinks that this is the right choice, and we're going to fight it, Erin. I promised you I'd help keep your sister safe, and I meant it. I'm going to do everything I can."
Erin burst into tears, and Jay stepped forward, allowing her to lean into his embrace. He couldn't stop the tears that had formed behind his own eyes from trickling down his cheeks as Erin wept into his chest, unable to fully process the loss of her sister. "It's gotta be temporary," Jay gritted out, "It's a temporary setback, Er. We're going to get her back, and she's going to be with you."
Okay so this one was a lot - but wanted to also add in that unfortunately in real life, this type of thing happens. I've been doing a lot of research to make this story accurate and real. In many states it is just up to the judge to make the call, and things can change in minutes without warning. Kids, biological families and foster families who endure the unpredictability of foster care are so brave, so I'm doing my best to convey that as well.
But don't worry, Jay and Erin keep their promises :)
